ISRO Invites Researchers to Analyse Venus Data Ahead of 2028 Mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has opened up archival data for scientific research and announced opportunities for researchers to contribute to India’s first Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM), scheduled for launch in March 2028.

Mission Goals:

• Study Venus’ surface and subsurface geology.

• Analyse atmospheric processes and composition.

• Investigate the ionosphere and its dynamics.

• Examine solar radiation interactions and compare Venus with Earth to understand planetary evolution.

Research Opportunities:
Researchers can submit proposals in five areas:

1. Venusian morphology, topography, and subsurface studies.

2. Geological mapping, mineralogy, and surface composition.

3. Atmospheric structure, dynamics, and composition.

4. Ionosphere and solar wind interactions.

5. Modeling of Venusian atmospheres and ionospheres.

Spacecraft Instruments Include:

• S-band synthetic aperture radar.

• Venus Advanced Radar for topside ionosphere and subsurface sounding.

• Thermal camera, cloud monitoring camera.

• Atmospheric spectropolarimeter.

• Solar occultation photometry for vertical profiling of aerosols and thin clouds.

• Retarding potential analyser.

Proposal Submission:

• Researchers can submit proposals via email or to the Director of Science Programme Office, Antariksh Bhavan, Bengaluru.

• Funded projects will run for three years.

ISRO’s initiative aims to promote scientific research and strengthen the global user community for Venus studies ahead of the mission.